First Impressions
by Sayonara Akumu
Summary: When Ichigo had met Kenpachi... he wasn't expecting to be shoved into his trunk and questioned if he was going to cooperate! Cooperate with what! Ichigo didn't hear anything, he swears! KenIchi Yaoi Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

Ichigo Kurosaki, a man with orange hair, was sitting at home, studying, like he usually did. He didn't live with his dad anymore and got his own apartment. It was small, but it was good enough. He didn't need one of those large apartments, which would be scary and ominous to be living alone in. He went to college, trying to aim for a lawyer, and went when he wanted to. That's what was great about living alone. He didn't need to expect his dad's crazy attacks early in the morning.

And he went to school when he wanted to.

He smirked.

Which was just fine.

His smirk disappeared when there was a knock on the door, sighing and getting up, wondering who that could be. Sighing out of frustration, he opened his door, blinking when he saw his small friend.

"Rukia." Ichigo said, glancing at the small woman. "What're you doing here?"

"What? I can't come over?" Rukia asked, walking into the room with a small frown.

Rukia Kuchiki, a friend of Ichigo's, both going to high school together and friends since then. He doesn't go over to her house, and why? Because of her brother. Ichigo scowled. That man looked for every opportunity to insult him. He closed his door with a sigh while Rukia looked over the apartment.

"Don't you ever think of getting a bigger apartment?" Rukia asked, staring at the orange haired man curiously.

Orange hair. Ichigo was born with naturally orange hair, getting into usual fights with people. He remembered this one bastard that got into fights with him daily, saying he was just looking for trouble. What trouble? He forgot his name, but the bastard would usually be laying on the ground, bleeding while he limped home and getting fussed over by his sisters and mother(Who is alive in this story, by the way) while his father congratulated him on a fine fight. But he would get scolded by his mother, who he loved dearly.

"Don't compare my apartment to Byakuya's." Ichigo said, scowling. "I'm studying. What do you want?"

"Just wanted to know if you wanted to go out?" Rukia said with a mischievous smirk.

Ichigo knew what that smirk meant.

"No, I do not want to go meet guys." Ichigo said, scowling, walking towards his small kitchen.

Yes, Ichigo Kurosaki... is gay. He hasn't had a decent relationship in a while. In fact, he hadn't gone out with anyone for a couple years. But he had school to worry about... sort of. Lately, he was lazy to go to college now. But whatever they said stuck to his mind, and sometimes he almost slept in class, and would ace the tests.

"C'mon! Even my brother found someone." Rukia said, folding her arms over her chest with a small frown.

Ichigo raised his eyebrows with amazement written all over his face. "Really? What's _his_ name?"

"He said he didn't want me to tell you." Rukia said, looking away with a small smile.

"Wait... it's actually a guy?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow, sitting down on his couch, deciding the relax while his small friend was there.

"Well, he _did_ say he wouldn't love another woman after my sister passed away. And we both know he's bisexual, so..." Rukia shrugged, as if she had been expecting it.

"Huh..." Ichigo frowned. "How about you?"

"No, not yet." Rukia said, frowning. "So, c'mon! Get dressed and let's go to a night club!"

"I don't want to." Ichigo said with a scowl, eating a candy bar.

He frowned when he was pulled up and shoved into a room, yelling at Rukia when she _actually_ tore his clothes off, trying to cover his body with his blanket. She left the room while laughing. Ichigo frowned and looked through his clothes. When Rukia wanted him to do something, she usually got it. Even though he hated being forced to do something, she managed to get him to do it. He looked through his stacks of clothes.

What to wear?

Shrugging, he reached out and grabbed a purple button up shirt and a pair of black leather pants. He never usually wore the pants, but when he was _forced_ to go out, he would. So, putting his shirt, the sleeves almost going past his hands, and putting on his pants, he grabbed his chain put it over his head and around his neck. Looking at himself in the mirror, he scowled. He doubt he would meet anyone. His nights usually ended like that.

Not even knocking to ask if he had finished, Rukia opened the door.

"Hey! You have to knock!" Ichigo yelled, glaring at the small woman.

"You look good enough, let's go." Rukia said, walking back into the living room.

Ichigo frowned. That's it? Good enough? Was she trying to insinuate that he wasn't trying to look great? Ah, well, she was right. Sighing, he closed his bedroom door and grabbed his keys and wallet from the bowl near his door.

"Let's go." Ichigo said with a groan and a roll of his eyes.

Rukia smirked and walked out, Ichigo wondering if he should shut and lock the door. Shrugging, he walked out and locked the door, walking down the steps with a scowl. Rukia glanced at Ichigo and nodded over to the car she had. Lucky small woman. Had her own car, all because of her brother. He frowned and got into the passenger's seat.

"Let's go have fun!" Ichigo said with false excitement, arms folded over his chest, glaring straight ahead.

"Don't be like that. Who knows? You could finally get laid tonight." Rukia said, smirking widely.

"SHUT UP!"

::

Two men frowned, having been dragged there by their friend, who they were considering should even _be_ their friend. The bald man frowned and grabbed his cup, downing it in one gulp and demanding more. The man standing beside him was sipping his, not even trying to get drunk, seeing people stare at him and would quickly walk by. One glance at him and people felt the need to shit their pants. He rolled his eye, his other eye covered by an eye patch.

"How long do we have ta stay here?" The bald man asked, scowling, looking around for their friend.

"Until that damn bastard is finished." The tall man said with a sigh, leaning against the counter.

"But we have _work_ ta do, 'member?"

"I know. Ya could call this our damn time off."

"First day off ya give us in a while an' we have ta go ta a damn night club? Really, what the hell is Yumichika thinkin'? Does he not know us? We don't like goin' out."

"Shut up."

The tall man scanned the crowd, trying to look for the one they called Yumichika, wondering where his fruity ass could be. Probably trying to seduce some poor mindless bastard that can't say no to him. Well, who can? The idiot practically looked like a chick and could make any man fall right into his hands. Where the hell was he? He continued to look through the crowd until his eye caught orange hair. He raised an eyebrow. Who the hell had orange hair? He tried to catch a glance at the person, but the crowd was blocking him or her.

Ichigo was scowling. He felt ridiculous. Not only were men _and_ women were staring at him, but he was pretty sure he felt someone's erection pressing against his back a moment ago. He frowned and tried to find Rukia. As soon as they walked in, Rukia had left and said she was going to have fun. Why couldn't she take him? Where the hell was she? He tried looking over people, but some men were taller than him, so it proved to be difficult. If Renji was there he could probably find her.

He sighed and shook his head, putting a hand to his face, letting out a deep sigh. He should at least have fun, right?

So, let's have fun, Ichigo.

After a while of forgetting Rukia, Ichigo soon found himself dancing along with the music, forgetting about all his worries. He was pretty sure if his mother or sisters knew he was at a night club, they would throw a fit, but hey. Didn't every parent? And... sister? He had two sisters, twins. One cared about his well being, while the other said she didn't care what he did. Exact opposites.

Ichigo grinned, perspiration rolling down his face, wondering if he should have gone out several nights before. He didn't even care that some guy was grinding against his body.

Well, the crowd had parted and was letting him see who had orange hair, a smirk spreading across the man's face. He watched as the redhead moved with the music, looking over his body, a pleased sound coming from his mouth. The bald man next to him turned his head and stared at him with a confused look and looked in his line of vision, trying to see who he was staring at.

"What?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothin'."

"Ya saw somethin' ya liked... was it Yumichika?"

The man turned his head and glared at the bald man, seeing him shrug, as if saying "There's a possibility." He rolled his eye. Stupid fucktard.

Ichigo panted with a wide grin, walking to the counter and asking for a drink. He turned his head when he saw Rukia walk towards him with a smirk. He gave her a grin, making her raise an eyebrow.

"You look happy." Rukia commented with a grin, sipping something that looked like... milk from a cup.

The hell?

Weren't they in a night club?

"This is great! Why didn't you drag me out before?" Ichigo asked, grabbing his drink and paying the man with a nod.

"Well, you made such a big deal during the other times I asked." Rukia said, smiling.

"That's because I had to study and work the next day."

"Why don't you get a different job?" Rukia asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "I know your family only approves of it because it's your job, but... Ichigo, really? A stripper?"

Ichigo worked... as a stripper. Even though he studied and went to college, he needed a job, and his friend Hisagi said he could get him a job. He was in need of money so he could pay off his rent, but didn't know what the job was until he was at the joint the next day.

"It's a good job and I get a lot of money."

"But it's-"

"We came here to have fun, so let's have fun."

Rukia sighed and shook her head, seeing Ichigo down his drink and practically skip back onto the dance floor. He was having too much fun. She saw him as a brother, but sometimes he was too oblivious to some things. After finishing her milk, she walked onto the dance floor.

"We have ta go! Where the hell were ya?"

The bald man was glaring at a man with a bobbed haircut, feathers sticking off of his face, a smile gracing his lips. The tall man had wandered off, both men staring at each other.

"Just so you know, Ikkaku, yelling is such an ugly action to do while in public." The man, Yumichika said as he closed his eyes with a soft smile on his face.

The bald man, Ikkaku, rolled his eyes with an aggravated groan. "I don't give a damn 'bout yer beauty an' shit! We have work ta do tomorrow an' ya know that Kenpachi's gonna give shit if we don't do a good job of gettin' rid of _it_."

"But I don't want to get my hands dirty. You can do it while I stay here and have fun."

Ikkaku was shaking from anger, glaring at the fruity man, hands clenched into fists by his sides. Yumichika only continued to smile before looking around, delicately raising an eyebrow.

"And where is Kenpachi?"

"He went over there somewhere." Ikkaku said, shaking his hand dismissively.

"And why doesn't he have to come and help us?"

"'Cause he pays us, if ya forgot."

"But we do such dirty work and I just got a manicure today."

"I don't give a damn! Hurry up an' finish so we can go!"

The tall man, who was called Kenpachi, was outside, waiting for the other two. He had ordered Ikkaku to wait for Yumichika and tell him they had to go, so where the hell were they? He frowned and watched as several bikers walked by him, rolling his eye from their tough act. He was waiting as patiently as he could, but he was considering on walking in there and pulling them out.

His eyes snapped over to the entrance when someone walked out, recognizing him as that orange haired guy. He watched as he took a deep breath, grabbing his shirt and shaking it, as if trying to get cool. He couldn't blame him. It was like a furnace in there.

Ichigo took a deep breath, looking around, looking at the tall skyscrapers, wondering how big the night club was. He turned, going to see how big it was, when his eye caught the tall man. He turned his head, seeing that the man was staring back at him, making him widen his eyes slightly.

This guy was _tall_. He had an eye patch over his right eye, had one of those bad ass looks, and his hair hung around his shoulders. He wore a leather jacket, and the same color shirt as him. Wow. Some other people wore purple. He wore jeans. Long hair. If he looked closer, he could swear he could see a scar going down his face on the left side of his face. He closed his mouth.

"Um... hi." Ichigo said with a nod.

The man grunted and nodded back, looking back at the entrance. What the hell was taking them so damn long? He glanced at the redhead, seeing him standing where he stood, trying to cool himself off. This kid certainly was attractive. But if he was a kid, it wouldn't do well with him. He turned his head when two people walked out of the entrance.

"Found 'im." Ikkaku said, pointing towards the still smiling man with his thumb.

"Excuse me for having fun. We barely get off of work and I wanted to use this opportunity to have some _fun_. Or have you two not heard of that?" Yumichika asked, raising an eyebrow.

"'Course we heard of that! I just want ta get a good sleep tonight before we have ta go and blow someone's brains ou-"

"Ikkaku!"

"What?" Ikkaku asked, turning his head with a frown.

That's when he noticed the orange haired man staring at him, making him frown and curse. Shit! Yumichika stared at the man with wide eyes. This man was beautiful! Too bad they were going to have to bring him back with them.

Ichigo was scared... more than scared, he was freaked!

"I-I didn't hear anything! I swear!" Ichigo yelled, holding his arms out, trying to get back into the night club, trying to act like he didn't hear anything.

"Sorry, kid, but yer gonna have ta come with us." Kenpachi said.

Before Ichigo knew it, he was lifted over the man's shoulder, widening his eyes and cursing. He struggled, noticing that the man was very built- Not now, Ichigo! The thought of him sleeping with the fishes went through his mind. He shook his head. No! These guys probably weren't with the Yakuza.

He was put into a trunk, making him widen his eyes when it was closed.

Muffled yells were heard from the trunk, some almost sounding like curses. Ikkaku smirked before getting into the car, frowning when he saw that Yumichika had shot gun. Kenpachi got in and frowned. Shit. If this kid chose to cooperate with them or not was his choice, but if he chose to tell someone what he heard... well, you could guess what's going to happen. While they drove away, Rukia walked out of the night club with a frown.

Where did Ichigo go?

* * *

**I thank anyone that reads this. ^^**


	2. Chapter 2

Ichigo glared at the hood of the trunk, beating against it, yelling at the people to let them out. Why the hell did they do this? He was just standing outside, hearing that bald bastard say something about blowing someone's brains out. Of course, he didn't finish his sentence, but that's what it sounded like.

...

...

...

...

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

His head hit the side, letting him know that they were turning. Shit! That hurt! Where were they going? He continued to hit the hood, yelling for help and cursing at the men that took him and shoved him into a trunk. All three men in the car frowned, hearing the kid hit and yell. Ichigo wasn't going to give up!

He was going to yell until his voice became hoarse.

He slid to the side, once again the car turning to a side. It was hard to tell if they went left or right, because he wasn't in the goddamn front! He turned his head, noticing they were starting to slow down. Oh, god. What was going to happen? He waited, his eyes flicking to the sides, waiting for _anything_ to happen. Please, god. Protect him from harm.

He held his hands together in front of his chest, eyes closed tightly, praying.

When the car stopped, he was sure his heart exploded. He heard several noises before everything was quiet. The trunk hood popped open, making the Strawberry snap his head to the side. Slowly, and hesitantly, he pushed it open and looked around. Getting out of the trunk, he glanced inside the car to see no one.

He was in a room.

From what he could see, it looked like a garage. He turned his head back and forth, wondering where he was. He didn't even know what time it was. He frowned and looked at his wrist. He knew he should of brought his watch. He continued to creep around, trying to find a switch to open the garage door. He glanced at the door near the opening, scowling. Walking over to it, he frowned when it wouldn't open.

Shit!

"Hey!"

Ichigo jumped, grabbing his chest, eyes wide, feeling as though his heart just stopped. He turned, seeing that bald bastard glaring at him from the door. He expected to be shot down right away, only to furrow his eyebrows when the man motioned him to follow.

He stayed there for several seconds.

Huh?

What to do, Ichigo? Run out there and call for help, or go out there calmly and walk after the man. Hmm? Tough decision. So, choosing the much safer decision, he walked after the man, hoping they _weren't_ the Yakuza. He blinked, widening his eyes as his jaw fell. They were at an _expensive_ hotel. Shit! What the hell was it called? Whatever it was, he knew _nobody_ that could get a room there!

Well, there is Byakuya.

But he doesn't like him.

He swallowed hard, hoping, _hoping_, not to get killed. But this could all be just a prank, right? He nodded. It had to be. Yet, he didn't recognize any of these men. Were they hired? Dammit! He felt like grabbing his hair and pulling as hard as he could to wake up from this dream! Standing in the elevator, he frowned, looking up.

"Pinch me." Ichigo said, hoping this was all just a dream.

He jumped when the bald bastard pinched his arm. He stared at the man with disbelief on his face, wondering why the hell he did that, rubbing his arm.

"Ya said ta pinch ya." Ikkaku said, shrugging.

"I was kidding." Ichigo grit out between clenched teeth, glaring at the man.

He scowled and looked ahead, glaring at the door. What a night. He was having the time of his life when a couple of bastards grabbed him and put him into their trunk. He struggled of course, he wasn't no pushover. When the elevator doors opened, Ichigo walked out, swallowing hard, sweating bullets. He walked down the hallway, only to yelp when he was tugged to walk the other way. He fixed his shirt and glared at the bald man, walking down the correct way. He kept walking, only to stumble when Ikkaku grabbed his sleeve to stop him, turning his head and glaring at him.

"You don't have to manhandle me! You can just tell me to stop!" Ichigo yelled, glaring at the man.

Ikkaku rolled his eyes and swiped his card on the door. Manhandle? Who the hell says manhandle nowadays? He opened the door, motioning the kid to walk in. Ichigo scowled and stomped inside.

"Ah, is the boy here?"

"Yeah!" Ikkaku yelled, scowling, sitting down on a chair.

Ichigo had to take several steps back when someone suddenly stood in front of him with a bright smile. Who the hell-? Yumichika immediately grabbed Ichigo's chin and turned his head to the sides, looking at his face.

Ichigo backed away, rubbing his chin, giving the man a baffled expression.

"Who are you and why the hell am I here!" Ichigo yelled, wanting to get right down to business.

"Such a beautiful face, yet such an ugly temper." Yumichika said with a shake of his head.

Ichigo scowled and glared at the man, wondering who he was.

This guy had no right to talk to him like this! He opened his mouth to yell at his guy, when a shadow covered. A large one. Swallowing hard, he slowly turned around, widening his eyes with horror when he saw that tall guy.

He was taller up close.

And he was... wearing a suit now?

Ichigo couldn't help but look him over. Nice. Very nice. He shook his head, snapping himself out of it, glaring at the tall man.

"Who the hell are you and why did you stuff me into a truck?" Ichigo shouted as he clenched his hands, eyebrows pulled together in a usual scowl. "I could of suffocated!"

"Drama queen." Ikkaku murmured with a roll of his eyes.

"SHUT UP! I have every damn right to be yelling!"

"Calm down."

Ichigo shivered when he heard the gruff voice of the man, turning around and glaring at him, arms folded over his chest. If all this was a joke, he was going to kill whoever was behind it. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

"Where am I?" Ichigo asked, scowling. "And I better get an answer!"

Kid had spunk.

"You're at the Karakura hotel."

"Wait... _The_ Karakura hotel? The _expensive_ hotel?"

Kenpachi grunted, the redhead taking that as a yes, and gaped. These guys were rich enough to rent a room at the hotel? He shook his head roughly. Concentrate, Ichigo!

"Then let me go!"

"Nah, we can't do that yet." Ikkaku said, standing up.

Ichigo scowled and turned around, glaring at the bald man, opening his mouth to ask why the hell not, when he was forced to sit in a chair, widening his eyes and looking up. The tall man took something out of his suit, making Ichigo pale and widen his eyes to the size of dinner plates.

It was a gun.

It was a _fucking_ gun.

HOLY SHIT!

Ichigo tried to become one with the chair.

"So, tell me kid, what did ya hear?" Kenpachi asked, the gun hanging loosely in his hand.

Ichigo eyed the gun and gulped. "I-I didn't hear anything... I swear, believe me!" He yelled, holding his hands up with a wide nervous grin plastered on his face.

"Hmm, I don't think I do." Kenpachi said, spinning the gun around on his finger, making Ichigo sweat bullets.

"I-I... I only heard that bald guy," Ichigo ignored the man protesting he was bald. "say that you guys were... going to... blow someone's brains out." He said, his voice very high at the moment, scared. "But that's it!"

"An' what did ya think he meant by that?" Kenpachi asked with a smirk, seeing that the kid was very scared at the moment.

"Um... I don't know." Ichigo said, shrugging. "Kill... someone?"

"Yer right."

Ichigo was pretty sure he crapped his pants when he said that.

"But here's the deal, kid-"

"I'M NOT A KID!" Ichigo yelled, getting tired of this tall... bastard calling him a kid. "I'm twenty-one, just so you know!"

All three men raised their eyebrows and gave the Strawberry a look. He was actually twenty-one? He looked like he was in his teens. Kenpachi mentally smirked. Is that so?

"Other than that, here's the deal... yer gonna have ta keep whatever this idiot said a secret. Can ya do that?" Kenpachi asked, raising an eyebrow, seeing the Strawberry frown.

"Why should I?" Ichigo asked, folding his arms over his chest.

"Otherwise... we're gonna have to kill ya."

"My lips are sealed shut!" Ichigo yelled, putting his index finger and thumb together and running them over his lips, making it seem like he was zipping his mouth shut.

"Good. Ya gonna cooperate?"

"...As in?"

"Ya work fer me."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you want me to kill peopl-"

"Nah, ya dumb idiot! He means clean after his shit an' stuff." Ikkaku said, standing next to the tall man, glaring at the orange haired man.

"Oh, thank god." Ichigo said, letting out a deep breath. "Because if I did have to kill people, my mom would give a fit."

"Ya _want_ ta kill peopl-"

"NO!"

Ichigi held his hands up, shaking his head widely. The thought of him being a wanted criminal didn't sound that great to him. He stared at the fruity man when he heard him clear his throat.

"May I ask your name?" Yumichika asked.

"What're your guys' names first?" Ichigo asked, scowling.

"I am Yumichika Ayesagawa, that gruel man over there is Ikkaku Madarame, and that tall man there is Kenpachi Zaraki."

"Oh... my name is Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ikkaku started laughing, making Ichigo frown.

"Ya have a cute name fer a bitchy attitude!"

"My name stands for Number One Guardian!" Ichigo yelled, standing up, glaring at the bald man, who he was considering on attacking. "What the hell does _your_ name stand for? Bastard?"

Ikkaku frowned and stood up, reaching into his back pocket. Ichigo widened his eyes when he saw it was a gun. The other two weren't doing anything to stop him! When he pulled the trigger, Ichigo had to fall back and faint.

Water came from the pistol.

"Heh, guy's a wimp." Ikkaku said, holding the gun and rubbing it against his head.

"Well, he _did_ think you were holding a real gun. It's understandable." Yumichika said, sitting in a chair.

"So... we know where he lives?" Ikkaku asked, raising an eyebrow, turning his head and staring at the tall man.

"No clue."

"What're we gonna do with him then?" Ikkaku asked, nudging the unconscious man with his foot.

Kenpachi frowned. "Yumichika, put him in yer room."

"What! Why?"

"Fine then! Put him on my bed." Kenpachi ordered, glaring at the two.

-:-

Ah, it felt like Ichigo was in heaven. His sheets were more soft than normal and he felt so warm. He had a dream he was kidnapped and was being asked if he would keep that whole ordeal a secret. He snuggled against something, furrowing his eyebrows when he noticed it was warm. Wondering what that was, he opened his eyes slowly.

He was quiet.

He slowly looked up.

One eye stared down at him.

He widened his eyes.

He screamed and jumped out of bed, falling onto the carpet floor.

"What the hell're ya doin'?" Kenpachi asked, frowning down at the scared man.

"W-WHY ARE YOU IN MY BED?" Ichigo yelled, standing up, glaring at the black haired man.

"...This isn't yer bed." Kenpachi said with a roll of his eyes.

Didn't the kid look around the room yet?

Ichigo looked around the large room. Yeah, the bed wasn't his, nor was the room. He widened his eyes. Everything that happened yesterday wasn't a dream. Which meant that this guy had a gun near him. Which meant that he now had to work for the man. Which meant he left Rukia at the night club!

"College!" Ichigo yelled, running around the room, trying to look for his shoes.

The tall man just stared at him, wondering why he wasn't freaking out... that he could kill him if he wanted to and yet was worried about college. Ichigo, finding his shoes, put them on, only to notice... he was in his underwear.

His face turned bright red.

He slowly turned and glared at the man.

"Where are my clothes?" Ichigo asked, grabbing the blanket on the bed, and pulling it off the man and covering himself.

This kid really had no fear, did he?

"Bathroom." Kenpachi said, standing up, stretching.

Ichigo looked down and widened his eyes. This guy was in his boxers! His eyes trailed down his legs before shaking his head and muttering a thanks before walking to the bathroom, with the blanket. This guy was going to kill someone today. This guy was going to kill someone today. This guy was going to kill someone today.

THIS GUY WAS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE!

Ichigo dressed as quickly as he could, practically running out of the bathroom. He went to open the door, when the hand that belonged to the tall man slammed it shut. Ichigo froze and turned his head slightly to stare at the man, wondering why he wasn't dressed yet!

"What's yer number?" Kenpachi asked, frowning deeply.

Ichigo blinked.

"...Huh?"

Was he asking for a date or something?

"I need yer number so I can call ya and tell ya to clean somethin' up."

Oh.

Ichigo grabbed the notepad near the door and grabbed a pen, scribbling his name and number down, and giving it to the large man. Kenpachi grabbed it and moved away from the door, walking away and rubbing the back of his neck. Ichigo went to open the door before pausing.

"What time is it... um, sir?" Ichigo asked, having no clue what to call the man.

Kenpachi frowned and glanced at the clock near the bed. "Around two in the afternoon."

Ichigo's grip on the door tightened.

"I missed college... again." Ichigo muttered, slapping a hand to his face.

Oh, well.

He jumped when he heard a knock on the door, opening it to see that bald guy and the fruity guy. Ikkaku frowned when he saw the Strawberry and Yumichika smiled.

"I see you are still here." Yumichika commented, walking into the room, the bald man right behind him.

"The bed was... comfortable." Ichigo said, closing the door, seeing no use to go out now that the college was almost over. "What are you guys doing now... or do I want to know?"

"We're getting ready to kill this-"

"Okay! I don't want to know who you're going to kill!" Ichigo whispered harshly, a frown on his face. "And what do you mean by ready? Are just the three of you going... to kill this guy?" He asked, very curious as to what these people were going to do.

"No, we need help. We jus' hafta phone a few guys and tell them ta get ready." Ikkaku said with a nod, walking towards a phone.

"Tell _them_ to get rid of it." Yumichika said, sitting down on a chair, one leg propped over the other. "I don't want to get my hands dirty."

"Strawberry,"

Ichigo immediately frowned and snapped his head to whoever the hell called him that, looking up to see that it was the tall guy. Shit. This guy was calling him Strawberry? Why? Why couldn't he just call him by his name? He scowled and stared at the man, raising an eyebrow.

"Yer gonna help them." Kenpachi said, his eye narrowed, arms folded over his chest.

"...What do you mean by help?" Ichigo asked, a frown on his face, hoping this guy wasn't talking about 'Bang! Bang!'.

"Ya hafta clean the mess."

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Clean the mess? What mess? He looked around the hotel room, seeing no mess, except for the blankets. But house keeping did that. So, the only thing he could mean was...

He paled.

"You mean... after," Ichigo held his hand to his head, his hand in the shape of a gun, making it look like he shot his own head.

Kenpachi nodded.

Ichigo widened his eyes and paled.

Shit.

This was probably the worse job... ever.

He should have never went with Rukia to the night club. He blinked. Oh, shit! Rukia!

* * *

**I thank SakaSandora, RameCupMiso, ZombieKaiya, Carabel, Natsuki Death, MidnightTune36, galerian57, bloodytears87, miszxbrii, uzamaki9999, and BonneNuit for reviewing and those for favoring my story. ^^ I really appreciate it.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Um, can I use the phone before you?" Ichigo asked, looking at the bald man.

"...Sure." Ikkaku said, nodding.

Ichigo nodded gratefully, grabbing the phone. He hesitated before dialing the dreaded numbers, putting the phone against his ear and waiting, his heart pounding fast. When someone picked up on the other line, he expected to hear a woman, not an emotionless tone.

"_Hello?_"

"Um... is Rukia there?" Ichigo asked, tapping his fingers against the coffee table.

"_Kurosaki,_"

Ichigo scowled, waiting for it.

"_A gentlemen does not leave a woman by herself in the city._"

"Yes... yes, Byakuya, I'll remember that." Ichigo said, glaring at the wall, clenching his hands. "Now can I talk to Rukia?"

He waited silently, hearing Byakuya say something about him, probably an insult, like usual. When someone picked up the phone, he was going to greet them, only...

"_WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?_"

Ichigo held the phone away from his ear, gaining the attention from the men, waiting for his little friend with a good set of lungs to calm down. He frowned, hearing her continue to yell.

"_DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS? I WAS LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU!_"

"Rukia, Rukia! Calm down! Take a deep breath!" Ichigo yelled, his eyebrow twitching. "I'm okay! I'm..." He turned his head, staring at the three men. "With friends right now."

If he could consider them friends, it'd be a whole other world.

"_Where are you?_"

Ichigo didn't want to answer that.

"...At a restaurant."

"_I don't hear anything in the background._"

"It's real quiet today." Ichigo said, sweating, furrowing his eyebrows with worry. "So... did you hook up with anybody yet?" He asked, hoping that she wouldn't pry any further.

"_No, nothing._"

Ichigo sighed out of relief.

"Well, I have to go... boss said I have to clean up... the joint." Ichigo said, staring straight ahead, a very bad liar.

"_Okay._"

Ichigo nodded, sighing out of relief one more time, saying good bye to his friend and hanging up. He took a deep breath, patting his stomach and standing up. When he turned around, he saw all three men staring at him, all waiting for something. His eyes flicked to the side before staring at them once more.

"What?"

"Who the fuck was that?" Ikkaku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A _friend_! Someone you don't need to know." Ichigo said, walking away with a frown, sitting down on a very comfortable chair, the one where he was told to cooperate with these nuts.

"Remember, Strawberry, I can kill ya if I want." Ikkaku said, scowling, walking over to the phone.

Ichigo paled and kept quiet, pouting like a little girl. So what if he had a gun... and killed people. He could just say whatever the hell he wanted since he was being _forced_ to to work for this guy. He blinked. Hold on.

"How much am I getting paid, sir?" Ichigo asked, turning around, staring at the man who was getting dressed.

Kenpachi stopped what he was doing and raised an eyebrow. Oh, shit. Yeah, that's right. He grabbed the notepad and wrote down a number, walking over to the Strawberry, who was staring at his bare legs before he shook his head out of his stupor. Once he handed the slip of paper to him, Ichigo took it and stared at it, only to double take and gawk.

"I-I'm getting- is this for- REALLY?" Ichigo yelled, standing up, staring at the man in shock.

Everyone stared at him before Yumichika got up and grabbed the paper, looking at the price. He sighed and shook his head and stared at the tall man.

"You're only paying him this much? Even Ikkaku and I get much more than this." Yumichika said, raising his eyebrows, staring at the tall man curiously.

Ichigo's jaw hit the floor, eyes the size of dinner plates. They got paid much _more_ than what was on the paper?

"He's only cleanin' up." Kenpachi said, putting his pants on and sighing deeply.

Yumichika nodded while Ichigo continued to stare at the man like he was crazy. He was getting paid... a lot more than one shift of working at the strip joint. Maybe he should just quit his job there and work for this guy. He paused and thought about it for several moments before shaking his head. Nah, he needed that job.

"Okay! Everythin' set. We jus' need ta call 'em when we're ready." Ikkaku said, standing up with a wide grin.

"So... uh... who's gonna... who's going to die?" Ichigo asked a little hesitant, eyes flicking to the side from being nervous. "Um... just give me his first name."

"Uh... let's see..." Ikkaku raised an eyebrow, looking up in thought. "Name's Luppi. Bastard's tryin' ta gather information on Seireitei."

"...Seireitei?"

"Our name. There's a total of thirteen people." Yumichika said, filing his nails. "You could say they are Captains, because each person has two hundred people working for them."

Ichigo widened his eyes. "Two _hundred_ people?"

"Yes."

"And... who are these thirteen people?"

"You will meet them sooner or later. Maybe." Yumichika said, eyes closed, smiling.

Ichigo couldn't believe it. He was having a conversation with a hit man. He took a deep breath. Calm down, Ichigo. They won't shoot you down because you're worried. Right? He nodded, unsure. Maybe. He looked at the tall man, only to widen his eyes and flatten himself against the wall when he saw the man hold a gun. Shit! Dammit! He looked towards Ikkaku, seeing him hold a gun as well, putting it in the back of his pocket. He looked towards Yumichika next, seeing him put his gun inside his jacket pocket.

He paled.

"Um... I don't need a gun, do I?" Ichigo asked nervously, chuckling.

"Not unless ya want one-"

"NO!"

Ichigo shook his head frantically. The thought of _him_ carrying a _gun_ was too much for his heart. And if his dad or mom ever found out... you might as well bury his grave right now. He chuckled nervously when Ikkaku pointed his gun at a vase, a smirk on his face. Ichigo closed his eyes tightly. Too much.

"S-So... guns, huh?"

Everyone stared at him.

"You ever get worried that... you might shoot yourself?"

Everyone continued to stare at him before going back to what they were doing.

Ichigo frowned.

Bastards.

::

Ichigo was taking deep breaths, eyes wide, standing around a corner. His new boss had rented every room on the floor this Luppi was residing. He was told to stay out of sight. But he was pretty sure he heard something a couple minutes before. He gulped, sweating bullets.

Damn!

He was in his best pants!

He heard a door open, eyes wide, staying against the wall.

"Hey, you! C'mere!"

Ichigo looked around the corner, seeing someone staring at him from a room. He gulped and nodded, walking towards the room. This guy looked _miserable_. But once he was in the room, the door closed behind him, he stared at the dead body with shock written all over his face. His felt bile rising from the pits of his stomach, running to the bathroom.

Everyone paused, hearing the boy vomiting.

"Disgusting." Yumichika said with a shake of his head.

"Kid doesn't have a stomach." Ikkaku said, rolling his eyes.

"I'M NOT A KI-"

He was cut off by throwing up once more.

After twenty minutes, he walked up to the sink and grabbed a cup, filled it, a swished the water in his mouth. He spit it out and wiped his mouth, walking out of the room. He glanced at the spot where the body was, seeing that it was gone.

"Hey, where did... our buddy go?" Ichigo asked, forgetting the woman, or man's, name.

"Our _buddy_... left with help." Ikkaku said, rolling his eyes once more, handing the Strawberry a cloth.

"In a... in a bag?"

"You don't need to know, Ichigo. Now all you have to do is clean up." Yumichika said, shaking his head as he stared at the pool of blood on the floor.

Ichigo held the cloth in his hand, bending down, eyes wide, feeling his heartbeat quicken. Several curses went through his mind, everyone staring at him. As soon as the cloth touched the blood, he took a deep breath. It was just like his dad's clinic, when he would clean up the wounds before his dad would stitch them up. He soon found himself mopping the floor, making faces the whole time.

"...A very good try for your first time." Yumichika commented, seeing Ichigo wiping the wall where blood splattered.

"HEY! I don't usually clean up after someone died!" Ichigo yelled, glaring at the fruity man. "Or should I say _murdered_." He whispered while wiping the wall hard.

"Nobody's on this floor. Ya don't have ta whisper." Kenpachi said, frowning deeply, supervising the kid, making sure he did a good job.

"Don't care."

Ichigo looked at the wall and floor, nodding for doing a good enough job. He looked at the cloth, holding it up, staring at Yumichika questioningly, since it seemed he was the only sane one. Yumichika gestured to the garbage bag, Ichigo immediately throwing it into the bag and going to wash his hands.

"Okay, take everythin' that kid used an' throw it away an' get new ones to replace everythin'." Kenpachi ordered, seeing both men nod.

"Why?" Ichigo asked, looking out of the bathroom.

"Evidence."

Ichigo nodded, deciding to wash his hands when he got home. He glanced at his shirt and pants, feeling his eyes grow to the size of saucers. There was _blood_... on his clothes. He felt his mouth fall open.

"MY CLOTHES!"

He glared at the three men, shaking in anger. He opened his mouth to unleash hell, when a paper was placed in front of him, making him look up, seeing the tall man glaring at him. He hesitantly grabbed the paper and looked at it, widening his eyes a second later.

A check.

"...Thank you, sir." Ichigo said, about to hug the man with a wide grin.

Kenpachi moved away with a look of distaste. He didn't like hugs. Ichigo frowned.

"Ya can go home now." Kenpachi said, nodding.

"Yes, sir!" Ichigo yelled, grinning widely, going to go to the stores first and go home to get ready for work.

He practically ran out of the room. Ikkaku was quiet.

"...He forgot his other check, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

And why was there another check? Because Ichigo amused them all by his yelling.

::

Ichigo ordered takeout, grinning all the while, looking at the three bags he had. He tried on a dozen clothes, and got a few pots and pans. He sat on the couch and turned on his television, a flat screen TV. He already had that, since he got paid a lot from his job.

He was quiet, not really watching TV, staring into space. The thought of his new boss... made his face burn red.

He was _muscular_!

He wouldn't mind seeing his body. He shook his head. No! He was probably going to kill him if he came on too hard. The thought of him whipping out his gun and holding it against his- He stopped his train of thought.

Gun.

He shook his head widely once more. It was another word for cock!

Dammit, Ichigo! When was he such a pervert?

He jumped when his phone rang. Looking at the caller i.d. Work. He picked up the phone and held it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Ichii, where're ya? Yer twenty minutes late!_"

"Shinji? What do you mean I'm twenty minutes late? It's only fifteen after seven..."

Ichigo's voice died down when he looked at the time. It was unplugged. He was quiet. Oh, shit.

"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!"

"_Jeez! The hell is wrong with ya? Ya coulda deafened me!_"

Ichigo hung up and ran around the room, looking through his thongs, wondering which one to wear. Dammit! Which one? He decided to grab the ones with small strawberries on them, his face burning red, stuffing them into his pocket and grabbing his keys, wallet, and cellphone, in case his new boss called him.

Damn clock!

He slammed his door shut and locked it behind him.

He sprinted down the street, looking at his watch, seeing that he had fifteen more minutes before he was supposed to be on stage. Dammit! Why couldn't his legs go faster?

Shinji Hirako frowned, tapping his foot with his arms over his chest. Where the hell was Ichigo? Shirosaki was almost done. He turned his head when the back door slammed open, seeing Ichigo gasping and wheezing, leaning against the door frame.

"Ugh, look at ya, Ichii. Yer sweating so much." Shinji said, shaking his head. "Go ta Rose an' tell 'im ta put makeup on ya."

Ichigo scowled and closed the door, walking over to another room, seeing Rose reading a book. After the man was done with him, he put on his clothing. It was a police uniform, which he liked. He scowled. He would never put on that tie and pants. He would rather not show his chest when he would go on stage right away. Shinji glanced at him and frowned.

"Yer cousin is almost done. Hurry up an' get ready." Shinji ordered.

"Yeah, yeah. Why are you being so uptight?" Ichigo asked, scowling as he raised an eyebrow.

"'Cause yer late." Shinji said, glaring at the Strawberry. "'M takin' thirty percent of yer pay tonight."

"...Okay."

Shinji had to double take and raise an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm okay that you'll take thirty percent off." Ichigo said with a shrug.

Shinji stared at him. "Are you sick?"

Ichigo frowned, just when his name was called.

"An' here's our next hottest man!" Shirosaki yelled, smirking widely, holding the microphone. Ichigo glared at his cousin. "The Strawberry!"

How he hated it when people called him that.

Shirosaki walked off the stage, smirking at him, Ichigo glaring back. The albino pushed him forward, making him stumble before straightening up, walking onto the stage. Music blared from the speakers, everyone immediately cheering the Strawberry on. Ichigo smirked before he ran his hands over his chest, his hands slowly unbuttoning his shirt, hearing the roars of cheers from the large crowd. He tucked his fingers around his waistband, raising them and showing them off. He danced his way to the pole, grabbing onto it and tipping his hat slightly with a grin.

He bent down, low, arching his back and tipping his head backwards, hearing people yell out vulgar propositions. He slowly moved back up, holding onto the pole, seeing two hundred yen hit the stage. He felt himself glow. He slowly walked towards it, a seductive smirk on his face, turning his back towards the crowd and bending down low to grab the bill and put it in the waistband of his thong. Shinji smirked. He was on fire! He glanced at the crowd, seeing them eat everything up.

Ichigo took the jacket off, throwing it on the stage, grabbing the pole, thrusting his pelvis out and arching his back, hearing people yell out, seeing more bills thrown onto the stage. Someone was gaping, their mouth hanging wide open, eyes wide.

"S... STRAWBERRY'S A STRIPPER?"

The tall man beside him grinned widely, the man next to him raising his eyebrows.

"Well... who would have thought." Yumichika said, tilting his head.

"I... I thought he was an ordinary kid!" Ikkaku yelled, staring at the two other men in shock.

They were dragged there by their friend, _again_, against their own free will. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika blinked, turning their heads, seeing Kenpachi walk towards the stage.

Ichigo ran his hands through his hair, leaning against the pole, bending his knees and moving down the pole slowly, low once more, licking his lips. He moved back up and spotted someone holding out a bill. He smirked. He ran a finger down his chest, heading for the button on his pants. The button popped open, slowly unzipping his pants, hearing the yells and cheers grow louder. Once the zipper went down as far as it would go, he bent down, on all fours and crawled towards the man, catlike, to the man that held the bill and arched his back with a lick of his lips. The man held out the bill, Ichigo taking it between his teeth with a smirk, getting on his knees and slipping out of his pants, hearing the crowd cheer once more. He turned his head, seeing another person hold out a bill. He widened his eyes slightly when he saw the price.

Ten thousand yen!

He inwardly groaned, his routine almost done. He walked over to the man and bent down, a smirk on his lips. But once he saw who it was... he felt his eyes wide to the size of dinner plates.

"S... Sir?" Ichigo muttered, feeling his heart stop.

Kenpachi grinned widely, waving the bill around. Ichigo felt his face burn red, grabbing the bill and rewarding the man with an up close personal view of his ass and the thong disappearing between his cheeks. Oh, god. He stood back up and made his way to the pole to finish his act. But once he was done, he practically ran off the stage and wiped his head. He saw his new boss stare at him all throughout the act.

"So... humiliating." Ichigo muttered, lowering his head.

He pulled out the bills from his thong, counting them up.

"Nice work, Ichii." Shinji said, walking up to the Strawberry. "Ya can keep all of it fer doin' a fantastic job tonight."

"Thanks, Shinji." Ichigo said with a nod. "Now I have to change and run over to my house and lock the door." Ichigo muttered, running towards the back with a nervous look, taking his hat off.

Shinji raised an eyebrow questioningly.

As soon as Ichigo was dressed, he ran out of the building, his eyes wide with shock. Why? _Why_? WHY? Why did he have to be there? He turned around the corner, jolting when his cell phone rang. When he looked at the small screen, he raised an eyebrow when it said unknown caller. Flipping it open and turning it on, he put it against his ear.

"Hello?"

"_Didn't know ya were a stripper, Strawberry._"

Ichigo felt his heart drop.

"Uh... sir." Ichigo said, his voice unusually high.

"_Ya should get 'im ta perform for us._"

Ichigo scowled, hearing that bald bastard laughing in the background. He heard Yumichika talk, hearing Ikkaku yell at him. He then heard Kenpachi tell them to shut up, which they did.

"Um... well... I have to go, sir. I need to get to bed early in case... I have to clean up after another person is shot tomorrow." Ichigo said, scowling.

"_Fine. Ya hafta come ta my house tomorrow._"

"Um... okay. Where do you live?" Ichigo asked, listening to the directions. He nodded. "Okay, good night, sir."

"_Stop callin' me sir._"

"Um... what do I call you then?"

"_Call me either Kenpachi or Zaraki._"

"Um... okay... Zaraki."

Ichigo was nervous! When the other line went dead, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his beating heart. His boss saw him. He _saw_ him working! He grabbed his hair and put his cell phone back in his pocket, walking down the street. Dammit. Why?

He was quiet.

If Ikkaku said that sentence of him performing for them, did that mean that he was there? Along with Yumichika?

He stood on the sidewalk, quiet.

"Fuck."

* * *

**I thank RamecupMiso, Carabel, ShuichisBoo, miszxbrii, BonneNuit, MidnightTune36, and SakaSandora for reviewing. ^^ I also thank those for favoring my story.**


	4. Chapter 4

"ICHIGO!"

The Strawberry moved to the side, something going past him, turning his head with a scowl. Crazy bastard. The man outside jumped off from the ground, pointing at the Strawberry, tears of happiness flowing from his eyes.

"GOOD JOB, MY BOY! YOU MIGHT PASS ME SOMEDAY!"

"YOU DON'T ATTACK YOUR SON WHEN HE COMES TO VISIT!" Ichigo yelled, glaring at his father.

Both men glared at each other before attacking each other, fists flying everywhere. Three people stood at the door, staring at them. The oldest one sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"Onii-chan!"

Ichigo stopped, turning around, smiling when he saw his sisters and mother. The man that tried to attack him was his father, Isshin Kurosaki, in charge of a small clinic he owned. His twin sisters were exact opposites, and his mother...

He smiled when he saw her smiling at him.

Before he could greet her, his father jumped him, pinning him to the ground. They started wrestling with each other, ignoring the people that walked by and gave them strange looks. After panting heavily and glaring each other, they walked inside with their heads held up proudly, both Masaki and Yuzu cleaning them up.

"What brings you here, Ichi-nii?" Karin asked, staring at her brother with a bored expression.

"I can't visit?" Ichigo asked, scowling at his sister, his cheek being bandaged by his sister.

"No."

Ichigo frowned.

Brat.

"Karin." Masaki said, giving her daughter a look, cleaning Isshin's face with a washcloth.

"So, why're you here, Ichigo?" Isshin asked, turning towards his son, eyebrows pulled together, looking very serious.

"I can't visit?"

"No."

"Isshin."

"I mean yes."

"I just wanted to see my family." Ichigo said with a scowl. "I can't do that?"

"Of course you can." Masaki said, standing straight with a soft look in her eyes. "It's so nice to see you again, Ichigo."

"It's great to see you too, mom." Ichigo said, grinning widely.

"PREPARE YOURSELF, ICHIGO!"

Ichigo quickly got out of the way, dodging the kick.

"DAMN YOU!"

Once again, both father and son were attacking each other, crashes heard from within the home.

::

Ichigo sat in his chair, staring at the teacher with a tired expression. He was _exhausted_. He couldn't fall asleep the night before. And he had a feeling it was due to that... body. He shuddered. He remembered how it looked. The way that man, or woman, stared right at hi- NO, Ichigo! Don't go there again!

He remembered staying in the bathroom most of the night.

He looked up, hearing the bell, signaling that college was done. He stood up, grabbing his books and putting them inside his bags, not hearing a single thing the teacher had said. He was too busy with guns and the whole shibang!

He still couldn't believe he was working for someone who owns a gun?

He paled as he walked down, ignoring everyone that walked past him. And someone who _kills_. Kills! Oh, god! He shook his head, walking out of the room. And what's worse, is that they saw him at work.

He grabbed his hair.

Fucking hell!

He shook his head a second later. No, he had to go meet Zaraki, at... He paused. Where the hell was he supposed to go? He reached into his bag and dug around, looking at the slip of paper he wrote the address on. He nodded.

He raised an eyebrow, checking over the address again.

...

...

...

...

Was this guy rich or something?

He took several buses to get across town, wondering how long he's been riding the bus now. He looked at his watch. Almost an hour now. He sighed and looked up, a deep frown on his face. Facing his new boss.

Who is scary, he had to add.

He grabbed his hair. He didn't want to see him! Sure, he was sexy, but... that gun of his. What if he pissed him off and people heard a gun shot? It'd be a bloody mess! Oh, the horror! NO! Calm down, Ichigo. He won't blow your head off if you...

Rephrase that sentence.

He won't kill you if you piss him off...

Never mind.

Well, they could kill him if they wanted to.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

Well, shit.

He was screwed, wasn't he?

He sighed, jumping off the bus, looking up and down the street. Nice place. He nodded. Very nice. He looked at the address on the piece of paper, turning his head, walking down the sidewalk, looking at the tall buildings. Which one of these buildings were the one the tall scary man resided in? He continued to walk, asking people for directions, walking up and down the same street.

Damn.

He was lost.

He looked at his watch. He said to be there at twelve. It was twenty after.

SHIT!

"Kid!"

Ichigo paused and turned his head.

Ikkaku was standing near the front door, glaring at him. Ichigo stared at him before chuckling nervously, seeing the bald man gesture him to follow. They must have seen him walking back and forth or something. He walked into the lobby, looking around, heading for the elevators. Ikkaku spoke to someone on his cell phone, Ichigo hearing him curse and close his cell phone.

"Something wrong?" Ichigo asked, eyebrows raised questioningly.

"No, nothing." Ikkaku said, cursing under his breath.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Okay, then. After the elevator doors opened, Ikkaku walked out, Ichigo right behind him, walking down the hallway. Ichigo blinked several times, looking at the doors, seeing a total of thirteen. After they made it towards the end, Ikkaku knocked the door and walked in, Ichigo trailing behind him, looking around the room. A flat screen TV... bigger than his! He gaped. Wow. He looked at the white carpet, the black leather couches, the lights. He was analyzed everything in the room, amazed.

It was so clean.

While he was looking through the room, he had to stop his train of thoughts when he heard voices. Ikkaku, standing next to him, frowned and narrowed his eyes, cursing under his breath once more. Ichigo turned his head and stared at him, looking back and try to locate the voices. He looked towards the window doors, leading to a veranda.

"Get the fuck outta my apartment!"

"Why the hell should I? One of yer men were seen in my area an' I wanna know why."

"It's none of yer business."

"None of my business? One of yer men was in my area, an' it's not my business?"

"Get the fuck out, I have someone comin' over."

"Who is it?"

Ichigo was still looking towards the veranda, when someone... very tall walked through it. Ichigo widened his eyes, seeing the long black hair, the tall lanky body, the white bandana covering his left eye. The one violet eye snapped over to him, making him jump. Whoa. He was _tall_. He wasn't sure who was taller, his boss or this guy. The man tilted his head and stared at him, making Ichigo's breath hitch and look to the sides, sweating bullets. Who the heck was he? He's never seen him before, and from the conversation he had with his boss, he was guessing he didn't work for Kenpachi either. Ichigo chuckled nervously when the man's gaze lingered on him for a while.

"Get the hell outta 'ere, Nnoitra." Kenpachi said, walking through the window doors, a deep frown on his face.

Ichigo was sure he cried tears of happiness when the tall man, whose name is Nnoitra Ichigo learned, and glared at the other man.

"Shut up! I am." Nnoitra said, walking towards the exit, his eye staring at the Strawberry once more.

Ichigo widened his eyes slightly and looked away, his heart pounding faster. He jumped when the man bent down, his mouth right by his ear. Ichigo swallowed hard and looked towards the man, still facing straight ahead. Nnoitra stared at him before grinning widely, staring at the other tall man.

"Nice hot piece of ass ya got 'ere, Kenpachi." Nnoitra said, standing straight, raising an eyebrow.

Ichigo stiffened and turned his head, glaring at the tall skinny bastard. He opened his mouth to yell at him when Ikkaku wrapped his arm around his neck, taking several steps back, covering his mouth. Ichigo flailed his arms, yelling, glaring hatefully at the tall lanky man. Kenpachi and Nnoitra glared at each other before the latter smirked and headed for the door, waving back. Once the door shut behind him, Ikkaku released the Strawberry and rolled his eyes. Another door opened from another room in the large apartment, Yumichika walking out.

"Ya shouldn't even _think_ of yelling at 'im." Ikkaku said, seeing the Strawberry raise an eyebrow, silently asking why. "'Cause he won't hesitate ta kill anyone, even if it _is_ in public."

Ichigo widened his eyes and looked towards the front door, his mouth hanging open, trembling slightly. He could have died if that man got irritated of him, right? He paled. He was in some serious shit. He shook his head before looking at his boss. Kenpachi frowned and glared at him, making Ichigo cry inwardly. He was mad. Just when Kenpachi was about to open his mouth, something crashed into the Strawberry's side, all the air in his lungs leaving him, hitting the floor. Oh, god! He was dead!

"Who are you?"

Ichigo slowly opened one of his eyes, looking towards his chest, seeing a small pink haired girl. He blinked several times, staring at the hair. Her hair was _pink_. He scowled. Should he be talking? His hair was orange.

"Uh... my name's Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichii?"

"...It's Ichig-"

"It's nice to meet you, Ichii!"

"Um, it's Ichigo-"

"Are you talking to him, Ken-chan?"

"Yeah."

"My name is Ichig-"

"My name is Yachiru Kusajishi!"

Ichigo scowled.

"Nice to meet you."

After she got off of him, he stood up, rubbing his side. She was just a kid, yet she managed to get his side to start aching. He groaned and closed his eyes. Where did she come from? Who was she? _What_ was she? Was that a burger? Ichigo eyed the burger on the small table, seeing that it was untouched, and still looked hot, seeing steam rise from it. He shook his head before staring at the tall man.

"Got another job fer ya." Kenpachi said, sitting down on one of the leather couches.

Ichigo paled.

"You mean... another bloody mess?"

Ichigo felt like passing out when he saw the man nod. He did, however, stare at the small girl when she sat herself right on Kenpachi's lap and turned on the TV with a bright smile. He stared at her then at the tall man, amazed that she wasn't scared of him. He wouldn't mind sitting on his lap- Dammit, Ichigo! Concentrate!

"Uh... who-"

"They'll get rid of the body before ya get there." Kenpachi said, frowning deeply, remembering when the Strawberry got sick when he saw the first body. "All ya hafta do is clean up. Ikkaku and Yumichika will be watching ta see if ya do a good job."

"Got it." Ichigo said with a sigh of relief.

No dead body.

Good.

...Well, good for him, because he wouldn't be getting sick.

He cleared his throat and stared at his boss, both Ikkaku and Yumichika making themselves at home.

"Um... who was that man before?" Ichigo asked, a bit hesitant to ask the question.

"Nnoitra Jiruga." Kenpachi said, sighing deeply. "Fifth Espada."

"Espada?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

There was a lot of stuff he never heard before. Like the Seiteitei, Captains, squads, Espada. What the hell was all this?

"There are a total of ten Espada." Yumichika said, looking at himself in a mirror. "Their number represent their strengths. Unlike the Seireitei, they only have a few that work for them."

"Why?" Ichigo asked as he stared at the fruity man.

"They have trust issues." Yumichika said, looking up with a smile. "It is as simple as that."

Ichigo nodded, eyebrows knitted together in concentration. So, from the sound of it, it seemed that these Espada were enemies against the Seireitei. And these Captains were sort of on war with these guys, right? He nodded to himself. Well... he was in deep shit, wasn't he? He sighed and looked up, freezing and turning red when he saw Kenpachi staring at him. Their eyes connected, Ichigo feeling his face burn red, clenching his hands by his sides. Yumichika looked between them before smirking, chuckling to himself. Just when Ichigo thought his heart was going to explode, the ring of his cell phone made his heart burst. He jumped and reached into his pocket, taking it out, almost dropping it. Flipping it open and turning it on, he held it to his ear.

"Hello?" Ichigo said, blinking several times.

"_Ichii!_"

Ichigo blinked.

"Shinji?"

"_Ichii, I know this is on short notice, but I need ya ta work fer me tonight. Shuuhei's in the hospital 'cause he broke 'is leg, an' I need ya ta fill in fer him._"

"Um, sure." Ichigo said with a shrug. "Hold on." He covered the phone with his hand and stared at his boss. "When do I need to clean?"

"Tomorrow."

Ichigo grinned. "Yeah, I can work tonight!"

"_Good! See ya later on, Ichii! 'M comin' to yer house later on._"

"Okay."

After saying goodbye to his boss and friend, he flipped the phone close, looking up and seeing all three men staring at him. He stared back at them, unsure as to why they were staring at him. His eyebrows drew together.

"What?"

"What do ya mean what? Who was that?" Ikkaku asked, eyebrow raised, motioning the cell phone.

"Oh, that was my boss... other boss." Ichigo said, remembering he now worked for two people.

"What did he want?" Yumichika asked as he raised his eyebrows, standing up.

"He wanted me to work tonight." Ichigo said, putting his cell phone in his pocket.

Ikkaku grinned widely, looking towards his boss, seeing a gleam in Kenpachi's eyes. He started laughing, making Ichigo scowl, yelling at him as to why he was laughing. Ikkaku couldn't talk, wheezing, pointing at the Strawberry and falling off the couch. Yumichika rolled his eyes while Ichigo's face turned bright red, hearing the bald man say something about his job. He started yelling at the bald man, about to curse before stopping himself, staring at the small girl.

"Um... is she yours?" Ichigo asked, pointing to the small girl, staring at the tall man questioningly.

"Adopted." Kenpachi said, staring at the television.

Ichigo widened his eyes and stared at the girl. He said that so openly, in front of the girl, and she didn't even bat an eyelash. Wow. If it had been him he would have stared at him in shock. He sighed.

"Uh... do I leave?" Ichigo asked, wondering if he went all the way there for nothing.

"Nah, ya can stay if ya want." Kenpachi said with a shrug.

"Okay-"

"Ichii! Do you want to see my room?" Yachiru asked, perking up when she heard that the Strawberry was staying.

Ichigo nodded. "Sure."

Yachiru grinned before jumping off the man's lap, running towards the Strawberry and dragging him away, Ichigo almost falling. Ikkaku rolled his eyes, sitting back down on the couch, Yumichika smiling and deciding to follow the two. Kenpachi raised an eyebrow before shrugging, grabbing the remote and looking for something on the TV.

After several hours of playing toys with Yachiru, Ichigo never going to tell anyone, she was sleeping in her bed, toys all over her floor. Ichigo sighed, standing up and picking them up, putting them all in her toy box. He looked at his watch, only to widen his eyes. Shinji was supposed to be at his house in half an hour! He cursed, cleaning up faster, putting Yachiru under the blanket covering it over her, walking over to the door and closing quietly behind himself. He took several steps back, only to jump when he connected with something. He blinked several times, reaching back, not looking, touching what he assumed was a stomach... six pack.

He turned, only to turn red when he saw his boss.

"Sir- Zaraki!" Ichigo yelled, grinning widely.

"She sleepin'?" Kenpachi asked, looking at the door.

"Yep." Ichigo said with a nod. "Uh... I have to go and meet up with my friend, so..."

"Go." Kenpachi said, stepping to the side.

"Thank you, Zaraki." Ichigo said, nodding, walking down the hallway and heading for the exit, waving to the other two men.

After Ichigo was outside of the apartment, he sighed deeply, eyes closed. He was pretty sure his face was red. When was the last time he saw a body as delicious at that man anyway? He probably worked out everyday. A goofy smile came to Ichigo's face before shaking his head, heading for the elevator. A pissed off Shinji was never a good thing.

When the elevator doors opened, he walked into it, pushing a button, leaning against the wall.

Nnoitra Jiruga.

Ichigo scowled.

He didn't like the look he gave him.

* * *

**I thank RamecupMiso, bloodytears87, Carabel, miszxbrii, ShuichisBoo, MidnightTune36, BonneNuit, Sasuke Uzamaki9999, Messy. Scrawls, Wicked Winter, and sahisdabest for reviewing and those for favoring my story. ^^ I appreciate it a lot.**


	5. Chapter 5

When Ichigo got home, he stared at three people, instantly scowling. Shinji grinned widely, along with Shirosaki, his cousin who looked for every chance to humiliate him. Shuuhei was standing with him, holding onto crutches. He grinned at him. Ichigo sighed before walking up the steps, pulling out his keys.

"Took ya a while ta get 'ere, Strawberry." Shirosaki said, grinning widely.

"Shut up. I was busy." Ichigo said, unlocking the door to his apartment, walking inside. "I thought you were coming _alone_, Shinji." He said, glaring at the blonde man.

"I didn't _say_ I was." Shinji said as he walked into the apartment with a wide smile.

Ichigo scowled and glared after him, wanting to punch him. He rolled his eyes, turning his head, seeing Shuuhei walk into his apartment. He watched as he used the crutches to walk, Shirosaki right behind him, holding his arms out with a wide grin.

"So what happened?" Ichigo asked, walking over to the fridge, pulling out several beers.

"Some bastard hit me with their car." Shuuhei said, rolling his eyes, sitting on the couch. "Then drove away before I could see them."

"Did someone help you?" Ichigo asked, his jaw hanging open.

"Shirosaki was driving by." Shuuhei said, pointing to the albino, who grinned when his name was mentioned. "But he wouldn't stop joking about it the entire way to the hospital."

Ichigo frowned and glared at his cousin, seeing Shirosaki shrug with a grin, grabbing one of the beers. Even though the albino was older than him, he still acted immature. It was worse that they worked at the same place, because he looked for every chance to make him uncomfortable there as well.

"So... what have you been up to?" Shinji asked, grinning at the Strawberry.

Ichigo paused.

"...Nothing." Ichigo said, plopping down on his couch, reaching for the remote.

Shuuhei grabbed it, a grin on his face, pointing to his leg and turning on the television. Ichigo scowled. What? He thought that since his leg was broken he could change the channel? He frowned and looked at the TV. They watched several shows, conversing amongst themselves, drinking slowly.

"Ichii, I heard from Byakushi that ya left Rukia at the night club when ya went out." Shirosaki said, raising his eyebrows with a grin, making the Strawberry scowl.

"Whoa!" Shinji raised his hands, gaining everyone's attention. "_You_... Ichii... went ta a night club without me?"

Ichigo and everyone else gave him a blank look.

"Usually when me an' the others try ta bring ya out ta have fun, we usually have to carry ya with ya kickin' and screamin'." Shinji said with a roll of his eyes. "What the hell did Rukia do ta get ya ta go out?"

Shirosaki snapped his fingers. "It's 'er tits, right?"

Ichigo gave him a blank look. "She has a flat chest."

"Then how the hell did she do it?"

"She forced me to get dress and pushed me out the door."

"Really? That simple?"

Ichigo scowled, watching as all three men stared at him with looks asking him if he was serious. He ignored them and watched the television, wondering why he was even their friend. They were all quiet, watching as show after show went by.

"...We should all get a tattoo." Shirosaki said, grinning widely.

"Wha...?" Shinji looked at the albino like he was crazy. "Where the hell did that come from?"

"Well, Shuuhei here has several on 'is _face_, so why don't we get somethin'? Like Strawberry could get a strawberry on 'is ass."

Ichigo scowled while Shirosaki grinned widely.

"You're a bastard, you know that." Ichigo said, glaring at the albino.

"An' I revel in it." Shirosaki said, closing his eyes as his grin widened, looking smug.

"Yeah! We should get a tattoo!" Shuuhei exclaimed, grinning widely. "Like, right now!"

"_You're_ nuts." Ichigo said, frowning deeply with a shake of his head. "My mom would freak if I tried getting a tattoo."

"Still a mama's boy?" Shirosaki said, snickering.

"Shut up." Ichigo said, pointing a finger at his cousin, like he could strike him down with lightening.

Which would be kind of scary.

"Hey..."

Everyone stared at Shinji, seeing a grin spread across his face. Ichigo had a bad feeling, his eyes flicking to his other friends then back to his boss. He sure didn't like it when his grin widened.

"Maybe we _should_ get tattoos." Shinji said, rubbing his chin, looking at the ceiling with a bright grin on his face.

"WHAT!" Ichigo yelled, staring at the man like he was crazy while the other two cheered.

"Well, Ichii, if ya _did_ get a strawberry tattoo," He ignored the curse that came from said Strawberry. "Then maybe it will make ya more popular at the joint."

"You're nuts." Ichigo said, shaking his head. "My mom and sister will kill me, bury me, and dance on my grave."

Everyone stared at him.

"Well, probably not, but they _would_ kill me." Ichigo said with a nod. "But you do realize that if I get a tattoo today, I won't be able to work tonight, because it will be red."

"Well, then let my cousin offa work fer tonight, Shin!" Shirosaki said, grinning widely, wrapping an arm around the Strawberry's neck. "I'll work his shift fer tonight."

"That's awfully nice of you, Shiro." Ichigo said sarcastically. "But taking my shift tonight isn't going to make me get a tatt-"

"I'll pay you triple if you get a tattoo." Shinji said, making everyone snap their heads towards him.

"What?" Ichigo asked, his eyes wide. "Really?"

"But only for one night."

He instantly frowned.

"I'm not going to get a tattoo just to get paid triple of the amount I usually get paid _just_ for one night."

"Then two nights."

"You know what? No."

"Three nights."

Ichigo paused and looked like he might consider it, large grins on everyone's faces.

"...No."

The grins disappeared.

"Four nights."

"No."

"_Five_ nights."

"Do you want my family to kill me?"

"I'll even throw in a free thong."

Ichigo gave him a blank look.

"No."

Shinji frowned and grabbed the phone, making Ichigo narrow his eyes and stare at him. What the hell was he doing? Shinji grinned widely, waiting for someone to pick up on the other side. He grinned widely when someone picked up, everyone staring at him intently.

"Oh, Isshin-san!" Shinji cried with a wide grin.

Ichigo's eyes widened with horror while Shirosaki and Shuuhei grinned widely.

"_AH, SHINJI? IS THAT YOU? IT'S GREAT TO HEAR YOUR VOICE!_"

"Yes, it's great to hear you too~!"

"_IS MY SON BEING MEAN TO YOU?"_

"No, sir~! I actually have a question!"

"_WHAT IS IT?_"

Shinji's grin widened.

"Can my dear, dear Ichii get a tattoo?"

"_...HOLD ON!_"

"Yes, sir~!"

"You... are one evil, evil man." Ichigo said with a scowl, glaring at his friend and boss.

"I know!" Shinji chirped, checking out his nails with a large grin. "Oh, hi Misaki-san!"

Ichigo's eyes went abnormally large, parting his lips. Oh, no. Shirosaki was covering his mouth, rolling around on the floor, trying to hold in his laughs while Shuuhei chuckled.

"I was... oh, Isshin-san told ya? Yes, I was... But ya don't understand, Masaki-san." Shinji said, chuckling nervously, looking quite pale. "This is strictly for business. Why does Ichigo need a tattoo for business? Great question! Well, ya see, all of my customers absolutely _love_ seeing my workers have body art an'... yes, we can call them tattoos. But Ichii gettin' a strawberry tattoo would do well in... yes..."

Shinji nodded several times, everyone staring at him, Shirosaki staring at the man as well, having finished his laughing moment.

"Thank ya very much, Masaki-san!" Shinji said, grinning widely.

Ichigo's mouth hung open. Did... Did his mom just agree to him getting a tattoo? A _strawberry_ tattoo?

"Ya wanna talk ta yer son? Okay, 'ere he is!" Shinji yelled with a wide grin, handing the Strawberry the phone.

Ichigo almost dropped the phone, glaring at Shinji.

"I hate you." Ichigo muttered with a scowl.

"An' I love ya, too." Shinji said, an impossibly wide grin on his face.

Ichigo frowned and held the phone against his ear. "Hello?"

"_Ichigo... are you sure you want a tattoo?_"

"Uh..." Ichigo glared at his boss once more. "If Shinji says it's for the joint... then... yes." He muttered, closing his eyes tightly.

"_Well, it is your decision, Ichigo. You don't live with us anymore, and you can make your own decisions!_"

The happy tone knocked Ichigo off guard. "Uh... o... okay."

"_You're going to come and visit us soon, right?_"

"Y-Yes." Ichigo said with a nod.

"_Okay! Have fun, Ichigo._"

"T-Thank you." Ichigo said, still shocked.

After saying goodbye to his mother, he turned off the phone, looking up, seeing everyone staring at him with anticipated looks, all grinning. He sighed and put the phone on the receiver, looking at his friends.

"Where do we go to get a tattoo?"

::

Ichigo was scared. He felt like shitting his pants! He was in a tattoo parlor, his eyes wide, sitting in the chair while shaking. Shirosaki glanced at him and rolled his eyes. Pathetic. Shuuhei had a wide grin on his face, sitting down, his crutches right beside him. Shinji was getting his tattoo and Shuuhei was next, his artist getting ready. The front door opened, a tall man walking in with a wide grin.

"I got your message!"

Renji Abarai. A man with red hair that was constantly tied back in a ponytail and wore a white bandana around his forehead, wearing baggy jeans and a white tank top, a large grin on his face. He looked towards the Strawberry.

"So, you're finally getting a tattoo, huh?" Renji asked, making the Strawberry scowl. "Finally."

"Do you think I want to look like _you_?" Ichigo asked, looking the man over. "You have tattoos for eyebrows for god's sake!"

"So!" Renji snapped, glaring at his friend. "Each of my tattoos represent a great thing that happened in my life!"

"Sure." Ichigo said with a roll of his eyes.

"So, what are you getting?" Renji asked, sitting down beside Shuuhei.

"...A strawberry." Ichigo muttered as he lowered his head.

Renji started laughing, slapping his knee, making the Strawberry scowl and look away, pouting like a small child. Shirosaki grinned, leaning against the chair, glancing at the man the red hair.

"I suggested 'im gettin' it on the ass, but he said no way." Shirosaki said with a _tsk_.

"Why don'tcha?" Renji asked as he raised an eyebrow, making the scowl on the Strawberry face deepen. "Everyone at the joint will be able to see it on your right butt cheek when you strip."

"Why the hell would I get it on my right ass cheek? What if I want it on my left?" Ichigo asked with a frown.

"So you're getting it on the ass?" Shuuhei asked, raising his eyebrows.

"NO!"

Ichigo scowled, ignoring the other three who roared with laughter. Damn... bastards. They all looked up when Shinji walked out, a wide grin on his face. Ichigo, Renji, and Shirosaki stood up, Shuuhei still sitting down because of his leg.

"Where did you get it?" Renji asked with a wide grin.

"_What_ is it?" Shirosaki asked with a similar grin.

"I got it..." Shinji pointed backwards with his thumb. "On my back."

"Let us see!" Shuuhei exclaimed, standing with the help of his crutches.

Shinji grinned widely and turned around, lifting up his shirt. Shirosaki snorted while both Renji and Shuuhei raised their eyebrows with a nod. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I know yer gay, Shin," Shirosaki said. "But a purple flower jus' screams out "I'm gay! I'm gay!"

"So?" Shinji asked with a pout, lowering his shirt.

"At least the guy fucking him will have something to look at." Renji said with a shrug.

"You guys are talking like that in broad daylight!" Ichigo snapped, glaring at all of his friends.

"So?" Shinji asked, raising his eyebrows innocently. "What if we talk 'bout yer sex life? Will ya feel more comfortab-"

"OF COURSE NOT!"

"Shuuhei Hisagi."

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

The Strawberry froze while Shuuhei grinned widely, both looking towards two people, who stood near the doorway. Shit! Ichigo was shaking as he walked towards the people, his eyes wide, feeling as though he was being sent to his death bed. He walked into a room, the artist shutting the door behind himself, sitting on the chair.

"Okay, you said you wanted a strawberry, correct?" He asked, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

"Y-Yeah." Ichigo said with a nod.

"And where will you get it?"

"...On my left butt cheek."

There was no going back now. He paled when he saw the needle, looking towards the door with a scowl. Shinji. He was going to kill him, chop out his guts, and eat him right there!

...

...

Well, he wouldn't actually do it.

::

Ichigo scowled, seeing all the grins from his friends. Looking at their grins, he had to guess they wanted to know where he got it. Even though he got a tattoo, on his _ass_, it felt ticklish while he was getting it. He actually almost started giggling like a high school girl. He expected it to hurt.

"Where'd ya get is, cuz?" Shirosaki asked, an impossibly wide grin on his face.

"Well, I went with your suggestion." Ichigo said, seeing the albino's grin widen.

"Let me see it!" Shirosaki yelled, actually trying to pull down the Strawberry's pants.

"NO!" Ichigo yelled, jumping away from his cousin. "Where did _you_ get yours?"

"On right shoulder blade." Shirosaki said with a smug grin, hands on his hips. "It didn't even hurt."

"Well, since there's so much fat in my ass," Ichigo ignored the snickers from his friends and a couple strangers. "It didn't hurt as well."

"...Can _I_ see it?" Shinji asked, grinning widely.

"No."

"Aww."

"What did you get?" Ichigo asked as he looked at Shuuhei, ignoring the others.

"I got an arm band." Shuuhei said with a grin. "I got some on my face, my back, legs, arm. So I thought I would get one on the other arm."

"Yer almost as bad at Red." Shirosaki said, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up." Renji said, glaring at the albino.

"Well, we got our tattoos, so let's go." Ichigo said, walking towards the door.

"You didn't pay, yet." Shuuhei said, staring after the Strawberry.

"I didn't even want a tattoo to begin with." Ichigo said with a scowl, glaring at all four people.

"Fine, fine." Shirosaki said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'll pay fer ya, cuz. But ya owe me. Maybe by giving me the money in return." He said, moving his index finger and middle finger against his thumb as a sign for money.

Ichigo gave him a blank look.

"Just pay already."

Shirosaki rolled his eyes, paying for the tattoo, all five men walking out of the building and onto the street. Shinji raised an eyebrow and looked around, walking to the edge of the sidewalk. Renji raised an eyebrow as well, seeing everyone else looking back and forth.

"What?" Renji asked, wondering why everyone looking irritated.

"My car's gone." Shinji said, scratching his head in confusion.

Renji blinked and looked at the sign.

"Maybe it was towed." Renji said.

"What makes you say that?" Shuuhei asked, looking at the man with red hair.

"Because that sign says that any car that is found in this area will be towed away." Renji said, pointing to the sign.

Everyone stared at it.

Shinji started cussing, stomping his foot and kicking whatever was on the sidewalk.

Shuuhei frowned and shook his head.

Shirosaki rolled his eyes and cursed.

Renji gave everyone blank looks.

Ichigo scowled and glared straight ahead.

Just fucking fantastic.

"Well, let's go get it." Renji said, wondering why the blond was making a big deal.

"Okay then. Let's go there in _your_ car." Shinji said, hands on his hips, glaring at the red haired man.

"I left it at home."

"How the fuck did ya get 'ere then?"

"I ran."

"...Why?"

"Because Ichigo was getting a tattoo and I was too happy to think about taking my car." Renji said, like it was the most reasonable thing ever. "Let's just walk."

"I have crutches." Shuuhei said while frowning.

"We'll walk slowly." Shirosaki said with a wide grin. "Besides, it's only fifteen blocks away."

Shuuhei and everyone else gave him a look.

"What? Ya want _me_ to carry 'im?"

Shirosaki frowned deeply, carrying Shuuhei on his back, Renji carrying the crutches.

Ichigo was grinning, making Shirosaki's frown deepen. Shinji was still complaining, asking the rest why didn't _they_ notice the sign.

"Because we were too intent on seeing Ichigo finally getting a tattoo." Shuuhei said, sliding down the man's back. "Plus we wanted to get away from Ichigo's glare."

"Well, I didn't _want_ a tattoo." Ichigo said, glaring at the others. "My ass hurts now."

"My ass hurts, too, but fer a different reason." Shinji said with a wide grin.

Everyone stared at him, Ichigo closing his eyes and shaking his head. He didn't need to know that. Renji gave the man a disgusted look, shaking his head. Not only was Renji Ichigo's friend, he also happened to work at the joint as well. Which was great, because he would defend the Strawberry whenever Shirosaki tried to humiliate him.

"We didn't need to know that." Ichigo said, making a face.

"Did someone fuck _yer_ ass, cuz?" Shirosaki asked, grinning widely, glancing at his cousin.

"Did someone fuck yours?"

"No way! I always top!" Shirosaki said as he shook his head. "I never get on the bottom."

"What about that time-"

Shirosaki cut Shuuhei off. "I was experimentin'!"

Ichigo started laughing with everyone else while the albino frowned and looked away. Ichigo grinned. Ah, yeah. This was how he liked it. Hanging out with friends, not having a care in the world, all talking about work since they all worked at the same place, having a few laughs.

He just wasn't going to tell them about his other job.

He paled.

Why would he?

Just say, "Hey, did you know I clean up after someone is killed?"

He snorted.

Hell, no.

Ichigo grinned when he saw Shinji run towards the fence, looking inside, tears rolling down his face comically when he saw his convertible inside the lot. Everyone rolled their eyes when he ran to the gate, yelling at the person to release his car, pulling out a wad of cash.

The man just loved his car.

* * *

**I thank RamecupMiso, miszxbrii, bloodytears87, Eternal Love's Eclipse, SakaSandora, Dreadful Virtue, Wicked Winter, BonneNuit, ShuichisBoo, MidnightTune36, and 123lookatme for reviewing and those for favoring my story. ^^ I appreciate it a lot.**

**I know that Nnoitra is taller than Kenpachi, but I like to think of Kenpachi as taller. :3**


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not have a beat so I am sorry for any mistakes.**

Ichigo sighed, walking down the street, deciding to take the long way to the man's apartment. He had cleaned after the mess, gagging all the while, and had received a text from his boss, saying he had to go meet him. He frowned slightly.

His ass still hurt.

He looked up and stared at the building for a second before walking inside, seeing the man at the front desk glance at him and nod. Ichigo nodded back, walking to the elevator and pressing the button. After it opened he walked in and pushed the button to the top floor.

He leaned against the wall, still frowning and still can't believing he got a tattoo.

On his left butt cheek, he had to add.

He scowled.

It stung every now and then, but other than that it didn't hurt much.

When the doors opened he walked out and started walking down the hall. Only, he paused when he forgot which door was which. Numbers were marked on the door. From one to thirteen. So, not knowing what to do, he opened door number sixth.

A man stood there.

A very attractive man.

He was having tea, his eyes closed, sitting formally in front of a small table. He had long black hair, wearing a traditional kimono. Ichigo stared. He knew he was. How could he not? This man was _hot_. But this man seemed familiar. He just couldn't place it. He froze when the man opened his eyes and turned his head, staring at him calmly.

Ichigo was about the close the door, but... he couldn't.

And why?

The man pulled a gun out of his kimono and pointed it at him.

Ichigo widened his eyes as his heart stopped, staying very still in case one movement might make the man start shooting. The gun had one of those things that made it silent? Shit? What was it called? This is not the time to be worrying about that! Ichigo stared at the man with abnormally wide eyes, sweating.

"Who are you?" The man asked in a smooth voice.

"Uh... Uh..."

"He's one of mine, Kuchiki." A gruff voice said.

Ichigo jumped and widened his eyes, turning his head, seeing Kenpachi standing behind him and seeing him give the other man a glare. He turned his head, seeing the man put his gun back inside his robes, setting down his cup as he gave the man a hard stare.

"You would best remember, boy, that you do not come in here, unless you want to die by my hand." He said, a cold look in his eyes.

Ichigo was about to nod before blinking and narrowing his eyes, staring at the man closely.

Wait a sec...

"Byakuya?" Ichigo asked, seeing the man blink once and stare blankly at him. "Byakuya Kuchiki?"

"How do you know my name?" Byakuya asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Wha- You don't remember me?" Ichigo asked as he started shaking in anger, his eyes narrowed. "I'm Rukia's friend! Ichigo Kurosaki!" He snapped.

Byakuya stared at him before a spark went through his eyes, slowly nodding and picking up his cup once more. Ichigo stared at him in shock. Byakuya... Rukia's brother... was with the yakuza? Ichigo gaped.

"How-"

"Leave." Byakuya ordered as he gave him a hard look once more.

Ichigo shut the door with impossibly wide eyes.

"Rukia's brother is apart of the yakuza." Ichigo muttered as he paled.

After all those years of pissing off her brother, he could have simply grabbed a gun and shot him. Why didn't he recognize him? He scoffed and hit his own head. Of course. He hadn't seen him in over a year. He was still a bastard, though. He jumped when he heard a growl and turned, grinning nervously when he saw Kenpachi giving him a glare.

"Ya know 'im?"

"Yeah. I'm a friend of his sister." Ichigo said with a nod.

Kenpachi grunted and told him to follow, which Ichigo quickly did. He would not underestimate this man. He may seem lazy, but for all he knew he was probably a psychopath and wouldn't waste a second to kill him if he pissed him off. He paled and shook his head lightly. Nah, he wouldn't do that, right?

He frowned and looked at the tall man's back, staring at him with a hard look.

Would he?

He chuckled.

Nah.

...

...

...

...

...

...

Would he?

When they walked into the apartment, Ichigo stopped and frowned, staring at the man in the room. It wasn't Ikkaku or Yumichika, nor was it that other tall guy from the other day. They all had mean looks, besides Yumichika, but this guy... looked laid back.

When he turned Ichigo raised a brow when he saw a lazy smile on the man's face, wearing a suit. He had a ponytail? Not many men he knew wore ponytails. His hair was brown. He frowned in confusion. Nah, he never saw this guy before.

"Ah, is this the man?" He asked as he glanced at the tall man.

Kenpachi grunted, the man taking that as a yes. Ichigo looked between the two with a baffled look. What was going on? He snapped his attention to the man in the room, giving a scowl. What he wasn't expecting was the man to hug him.

He widened his eyes.

"Uh..."

"Nice to meet you!" He yelled as he stepped back and giving a wide smile. "My name is Shunsui Kyoraku, a drinking buddy of this man here." He said, looking at the tall man when he said drinking buddy.

Ichigo nodded.

"You see, my cleaner went on a vacation and I was wondering if you-"

"Wait!" Ichigo yelled, holding up both his hands with wide eyes. "Are you saying... _you're_... part of the yakuza?"

"Why, yes." Shunsui said as he gave a bright smile.

Ichigo's hands fell, his eyes still wide as he stared at the man. This man, this _laid_ _back_ man, was apart... of the yakuza? No, it didn't seem likely. This man looked _cheerful_! He was _smiling_. He didn't look anything like Kenpachi or Byakuya! Ichigo gaped at the man, which made Shunsui blink several times before glancing at Kenpachi.

"Is he all right?" Shunsui asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Ah, yeah. He's always like this when it comes ta us." Kenpachi said with a roll of his eyes.

"I see. So he's new?" Shunsui said with a nod. "Makes sense. Not everyone is willing to work with the yakuza, except with it comes to money. How much are you paying him?"

"Same amount as yers."

"Oh, so not that much, hm?"

Ichigo's eyes were wide.

They talked about money so casually.

Was he really not getting as paid as much as the other guys?

Shunsui looked back at him with a wide smile. "So, as I was saying, my cleaner is on vacation and I need someone to clean after a mess later on. Will you do it for me?"

"Wha...?" Ichigo stared at the man in shock. "Can Zaraki really just pass me onto another?"

"Yes? If the cleaner won't make it on time."

"I'm not even a professional yet." Ichigo muttered, not really sure if there were professionals or not.

"Oh, that's okay. Ikkaku and Yumichika say you are already good enough." Shunsui said as he waved his hand dismissively. "It won't be much. We will use a silencer and you will only need to clean the blood spatter."

Ichigo stared at the man long a hard.

Both other men stared back at him.

He fell back and hit the floor.

Kenpachi and Shunsui stared at him, not even helping him.

"Weak stomach?"

"Yeah."

::

Ichigo started coming to, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling. He blinked several times to see more clear, everything still a bit blurry. When everything became clear he looked around the room and stared at the two people sitting on the couch.

Kenpachi and Shunsui.

They left him on the floor.

Bastards.

"So, will you do it?" Shunsui asked as he grinned.

"...Okay." Ichigo said with a sigh, pushing himself up. "But if I throw up, you have only yourself to blame."

"Sure will."

Ichigo stood up, brushed off his clothes, stood straight and gave the two men a glare. They stared back at him. Oh, they were used to getting glares. Ichigo's was like a bug bite to them. So, Shunsui gave him a smile.

"When are we going?" Ichigo asked with a scowl.

Damn cheery bastard.

"We are going in five minutes!" Shunsui exclaimed with a bright smile.

Ichigo stared at the man with a frown, staring at him hard. In five minutes? Did he hear right? Both Kenpachi and Shunsui stared at him, waiting for a response, just sitting quietly. They got one.

"WHAT?" Ichigo yelled as he widened his eyes. "Then shouldn't we start going!"

"Don't worry, we'll get there." Shunsui said as he stood up. "We just have to go right now if we want to meet them."

"Meet who?"

"You'll see." Shunsui said as he walked towards the door with a wide grin.

Ichigo stared after him with a frown before looking at Kenpachi, seeing the tall man stare at him blankly before shrugging, making him scowl. Didn't he know what was going on? He sighed and followed after the strange man. Very strange man.

Really.

Was this guy with the yakuza?

Didn't seem possible.

He was too cheery.

Well, after an hour with this guy, it was confirmed... he was with the yakuza. Ichigo widened his eyes, acting as a maid or something and knocked on the door to the man's apartment. As soon as he opened the door and the man let him inside and the door was shut... he was suddenly down on the floor. He widened his eyes and started panicking until his cell phone started ringing.

He grabbed it and picked it up, his eyes still wide and looking pale.

"Hello?"

"_Okay, Ichigo! You can clean up the mess now! I'll send some of my men up to take the body._"

"Uh... yes, sir."

Ichigo spent the half hour preying that they didn't kill him and gagging. He didn't understand how people could do this. It was so gross. But when he was finally done, Shunsui had given him a check, which he gladly took.

Shunsui was a nice guy... he just had a scary job.

What he had learned, while he was driving him back to his apartment, was that every head of the yakuza had their own home out of the city and only used that building he's been to for getting around the city easier.

He kinda wished he could see how Kenpachi's place looked like.

He thanked Shunsui for... the wonderful evening before he made his way to his apartment, a very uncomfortable look on his face, unlocking his door and walking inside.

He had a... scary day.

::

Since he was given several days off of work because of his new tattoo, which he was cleaning like he was told, he decided to visit the joint to see what was going on. He walked through the front door, like he was a customer and went towards the bar.

Shinji was watching with a smile on his face.

When he turned his head and saw Ichigo making his way towards him, he grinned and got off the chair he was sitting on, raising his hand in a greeting. Ichigo raised his in return.

"It's nice to see ya again." Shinji said with a grin. "Every time I tried goin' over to yer house, ya weren't there."

"Ah, well... I was busy." Ichigo said with a nervous grin on his face.

_Cleaning up after someone dies._

He frowned and shook his head to try and get rid of the images in his head. He turned his head, staring at the stage, seeing that Renji was on. He smirked, seeing Renji look in his direction. The redhead grinned, finishing up his act.

"So, how have things been around here?" Ichigo asked, turning his head to stare at Shinji.

"All right. Some people are demanding for you." Shinji said, shrugging lightly. "But they'll get over it."

"Like who?" Ichigo asked while leaning against the counter.

"Uh... y'know..."

Shinji tried thinking of people, but he couldn't remember their names. Ichigo saw his look and rolled his eyes while Renji came jogging towards them, sweat on his forehead. He grinned at them.

"How'd you like my performance, Ichigo?" Renji asked with a smirk. "Better than yours?"

"You won't get as good as me in the future."

Renji frowned and glared at him while Shirosaki walked onto the stage with a grin.

"So, how's your tattoo?" Ichigo asked while staring at his boss.

"Alright. Yours?"

"Alright."

Renji frowned. Did they have nothing to talk about? He shrugged, ordering a drink. Ichigo turned his head, smirking when he saw someone staring at Renji. All the members of the joint had admirers.

If he had to guess, Shirosaki got the most because of how he looked and because of his act.

He hated to admit it, but he had to guess that Shirosaki was the best performer there.

"Ichii, do ya have another job?"

Ichigo was pretty sure all the blood left his face. He turned his head, seeing Shinji stare at him with raised eyebrows, looking at him curiously. Oh, no. Moment of truth, Ichigo. Tell him the truth, or tell him he's crazy.

Which is it?

"What gave you that idea?"

Apparently, neither.

"Well, whenever I try callin' ya, ya don't answer an' when I go ta your house, yer not there." Shinji said while narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "So, do ya have another job?"

"No-"

"He's probably got a boyfriend." Renji said with a large smirk on his face.

Ichigo widened his eyes and froze.

"Do you?" Shinji asked with a grin, no longer mad.

"No-"

"Wouldn't be the first time you didn't tell us you were in a relationship." Renji said, pointing a finger at the man. "Now tell us the truth."

"I am!" Ichigo snapped with a scowl.

And he was! He was just busy with all the crazy stuff. And also trying to get Kenpachi's attention, but he wouldn't do anything! Ichigo scowled and glared at a spot on the wall.

"Oh, I know that look." Shinji said with a grin. "Ya like someone but yer not sure if they like you."

"Haven't seen that look in a while." Renji commented while taking a sip of his drink.

Ichigo stiffened and glared at the two. Oh, how he hated it when they did that. He folded her arms and looked at the stage, seeing Shirosaki call up the next person. He was right.

Maybe he should try harder?

He considered it before shaking his head. No. It'd be humiliating if he did that. It was humiliating enough when his boss saw him at work. His face burned red before ordering a drink.

"So, who is he?"

Ichigo frowned and turned his head, seeing Shirosaki standing behind him with a grin.

"No one."

"Yeah, right, cuz. I know that look on yer face." Shirosaki said while leaning close to the Strawberry with a grin. "That looks tell me yer lustin' after someone? Who is it?"

"No one." Ichigo grumbled while looking away and taking a sip from his drink.

"C'mon, cuz." Shirosaki said while wrapping his arm around the Strawberry's shoulders. "Ya can tell yer favorite cuz."

"Who said _you're_ my favorite cousin?"

"Jus' tell me." Shirosaki said with a frown.

"I said it's no one." Ichigo said, shrugging off his cousin's arm and taking another sip.

"Jus' tell us. We won't tell anyone."

Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes. This was going to go on for a while.

* * *

**I thank Shuichisboo, miszxbrii, SakaSandora, RamecupMiso, BonneNuit, Eternal Love's Eclipse, Wicked Winter, MidnightTune36, bloodytears87, 123lookatme, x-Lunarion-x, Cherry-Starburst, Agneta, e2tavi, bs49184, and AnnaNero for reviewing. ^^ It is very much appreciated.**

**I apologize for the late, very late update. ^^' So sorry.**


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